418 Norru Carotina Troops, 1861-’65.

hannock river, which at that point had been dammed. A
few managed to escape by swimming the river, but almost the
entire brigade, officers and men, were captured. Some few
of the officers were afterwards exchanged and took part with
the regiment in its subsequent campaign, but the most of
the rank and file remained in prison until the close of the war.
It had been a bloody combat, and besides those captured,
many lay dead and wounded about the breastworks.

As was always the case, there were a good many veterans
of the Fifty-seventh Regiment who at the time of this disas-
ter were in the hospitals and on detached service, and a few
of the officers along with them. Among the latter were
Major Craige and Captain John Beard, of Salisbury. Of
the latter the writer will have more to say later on. It is suf-
ficient to say here that he had been with the regiment through
all its service and had acquired a reputation both for courage
and skill in the handling of his company. As the senior
officer, Major Craige gradually gathered together this rem-
nant of the Fifty-seventh and in the course of time conscripts
were sent to him and the regiment was again filled up to
respectable proportions. Colonel Godwin, who at the time
of the capture of the regiment was its Colonel, was exchanged
in the summer of 1864, but was soon after promoted to the
position of brigadier general and placed in command of
Hoke’s old brigade. The writer, who was Lieutenant-Colo-
nel at the time, was not exchanged until February, 1866.
Major Craige, the only other field officer, was severely
wounded in the knee in the Valley campaign in August,
1864, and disabled for active service. The writer has not
been able to communicate with him and so the greater part
of this sketch, after the capture, has been furnished by Cap-
tain Beard. The Twenty-first North Carolina of our bri-
gade was on detached service in North Carolina and thus es-
caped capture.

After the capture of the brigade, as above stated, the rem-
nant of the regiment, under the command of Major Craige,
retreated with the army behind the Rapidan, and in Decem-
ber the brigade was sent to North Carolina to participate in
the campaign against Plymouth. The Fifty-seventh did not

Firry-Seventa REGIMENT. 419

participate in the capture of Plymouth, as it was left at Kin-
ston to guard against a movement from New Bern. It re-
turned to Petersburg just in time to meet General Butler
and there participated in the battle of Drewry’s Bluff. From
there it was ordered to the South Anna to join the main army
under General Lee, and was present at the second Cold Har-
bor battle, where it engaged the enemy on the second day,
capturing many prisoners. From there it was sent to Rich-
mond and thence to Lynchburg by rail to meet the threatened
invasion under General Hunter, who was advancing up the
valley. Upon the approach of General Early’s command
General Hunter commenced his retreat, but was overtaken
by Early at Liberty, where a severe action took place, re-
sulting in the complete defeat of General Hunter. In this
battle the Fifty-seventh bore its part, having by this time
been considerably recruited. General Hunter having re-
treated through West Virginia, Early’s command moved
down the valley to Harper’s Ferry, which it reached on 4
July, 1864, while the Federal troops were engaged in cele-
brating the day with a great feast.

A FEDERAL CELEBRATION INTERRUPTED.

This the Confederates, after driving the Federals off, coolly
appropriated—that is, the eatables and drinkables—and
many of the Confederates got gloriously drunk on the whis-
key and wine that was not prepared for them. The next day
they crossed the river and some skirmishing was had with the
enemy under General Lew Wallace. In this fighting Lieu-
tenant F. M. Graham, of Rowan county, a most excellent
officer of the Fifty-seventh Regiment, was killed and the
regiment sustained a heavy loss in men and officers. Colonel
Godwin, soon after made Brigadier-General, was in command
of the brigade, which was left at Frederick, Md., during the
battle of Monocacy to protect the rear of General Early’s
march. It fell to the lot of the brigade to care for the wound-
ed of that battle and to have them removed to Frederick and
while so doing, had quite a spirited action with some Federal
cavalry. It then followed General Early to Washington.
Here it was posted on the Georgetown pike, where it had sev-